Dan Dickerson from Weems & Plath has compiled a very informative binder that includes available charts, cruising guides, navigation chips (by various companies), “LIGHTrules” and “ROADrules” navigational aids (European canal system, Baltic and Europe in general), and a Tide Chart Book Set. This package is available from Weems and Plath at a special discounted price.
MORE INFORMATION TO FOLLOW...C-Map – Northern Europe navigation chips: http://chartcatalogue.c-map.no/By joining Club C-Map (I spoke to them and they are willing to give us this discount without paying the $89 membership fee), you can re-sell your cards or possibly buy used ones.
C-card Club members can also “rent” cards. You will have to return the card before 90 days to get a 25% discount, between 30 to 60 days to get a 50% discount - http://www.c-map.us/clubcmap/CcardClub/CcardRentals.aspNavionics – 1. Europe-Baltic Sea covers Finland and eastern coast of Sweden
2. Skagerrak, Kattegat and the Faeroe Islands covers west coast of Sweden to the Netherlands.
http://www.navionics.com/continentchartcatalog.asp?ContinentID=4

Turns out the info on TidesEnds website was a bit dated, and David's info in his post above was correct.

Navionics has discontinued the XL3 size in their Gold series and replaced them with new XL9 charts. (The platinum charts are still available in the XL3 size, but these cost quite a bit more than the Gold XL9's, so it's still cheaper to buy the bigger charts even though we don't need all that coverage.)

So, now that we've got electronic charts (see above) and cheap paper charts (we've ordered the 2/3 sized grayscale reproductions from Bellingham Chart Printers), about the only thing left are charts of the Netherlands.

Since we plan to enter Holland at Delfzijl and cruise inland waters all the way to Ijmuiden, all we'll really need are the Dutch waterway charts. And since canal cruising is generally pretty straightforward, it may not be necessary for every member of the group to have every chart.

These charts are generally available at most marinas and book stores in Holland. They can also be purchased online from Warsash Nautical Books in the UK for about £11/ea on their web site: http://www.nauticalbooks.co.uk/site/charts.asp

Here is some more useful information from Vivan Godrey at Bluewater Books & Charts:

Dear Baltic Cruise participants,

I have been contacted by at least two members of your group requesting that we offer suggestions for nautical books, charts and other miscellaneous items for your planned cruise from Rauma, Finland to Ijmuiden, Netherlands.

Some members of the group may be familiar with our 2 stores, one here in Ft Lauderdale called Bluewater Books and Charts and the other in Newport, RI called the Armchair Sailor.

I am presently compiling a list of suggested items including a number of books and charts published in Europe that we do not normally offer. I have samples of these arriving here in Ft Lauderdale, FL early next week. In this group are 2 books written in German. I would like to know if possible if there are any German speakers in the group?

In addition if any members of the group require electronic charts we can certainly provide those but will need to work with each participant to determine your individual needs.

Please look for my next email with a list of items attached.

I understand that we have a bit of a tight deadline to work with but do not panic, we can have everything you need in time.

One last question/suggestion. Perhaps the group might like to make a group purchase of one or two copies of certain items? Many of the chart folios and books are quite expensive so this would keep the cost down.

Having now reviewed them, I'm even happier to report that these three charts offer excellent coverage of our entire route from Rauma to Ijmuiden. This includes all the harbors, in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Holland we're likely to visit plus the entire Göta Canal, the inland waterways of Holland and the Elbe River up to Hamburg.

Assuming our Raymarine chartplotter does its thing, we could theoretically do the whole trip with just these charts - but clearly, that would not be considered prudent navigation!

For those of you who would like the sailing directions for the many charts, you can download them for free from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency web site.

http://www.nga.mil/portal/site/maritime/then click on publications,
then "Menu Options" at top of page, select "Sailing Directions enroute"
and on the next page that comes up, Publications 192, 193, 194, and 195

Each of these is several hundred pages long in PDF format, bundled into a .zip file. It unzips into an executable file that installs the publication on your hard drive in its own directory.

I have downloaded them all, plus updates, so we can share the information as we go along.

The European Code for Inland Waterways. A bit more elaborate than US rules, it seems. Since we didn't bring our boat down from Canada, as many of you did, I don't know how familiar the participants are in negotiating the canals and locks of Europe. I know nothing, so I'm working at obtaining the references I think will help us.

The above link is to the Practical Boatowner CEVNI guide, which provides downloadable color guides to the signs and marks you need, and also a short tutorial. I will print and laminate the "cheat" cards for our boat. If you want them, but cannot download and print them, let me know and I'll make extra copies for you.